How to
buy a mattress

How do you get through all the marketing
hype and discern the truth about different mattresses. Here is the inside
story from a 30 year veteran of mattress manufacturing.

In 1871 Heinrich Westfall patented the first
innerspring mattress. He saw that coil springs were used in seat cushions
and decided to make a mattress from coil springs. Now Leggett & Platt
makes about 93% of all the innerspring units used by American mattress
manufacturers. It doesnít matter if you buy Sealy, Simmons, Serta, Spring
Air, or an independent brand; the innerspring coil unit is probably made
by Leggett & Platt.

The mattress manufacturer buys complete
innerspring units that are fully compressed with 10 to 20 mattress units
in a bale. He then unbales the units, adds layers of various padding, and
upholsters the units.

The great firmness lie

Manufacturers wanted to differentiate their
mattress and they could use more coils or heavier wire, either or both of
which make the mattress firmer. The total weight of steel used in a
mattress determines the cost since steel is ultimately bought by the
pound. So we were told that firmer is better.

Coil
Counts and Wire Gauges

Coil counts reflect the number of coils used
in a full size mattress with a 252 and a 312 being basic standards. There
are many variations with 600 and 800 and more coils per mattress. Wire
gauges used to make the coils can be 12, 14, 16, 18, and higher with half
gauges in between. The lower the gauge number the thicker the wire. Thus a
mattress with 12 gauge wire coils will be firmer than one of the same coil
count with 14 guage wire. Or more coils of the same gauge wire will be
firmer.

Innerspring unit types

Bonel coils are double cone coils that are
round on the ends; Offset coils have a flat part crimped on the ends
supposedly to allow them to move more independently. Pocketed coils are
straight coils that are not double coned shaped. Continuous coils are
straight coils where the innerspring unit is made from one continuous
piece of wire without clipping the wire to form individual coils. Then
most have a border wire for edge support and to give a straight edge to
upholster. Some add gimmicks to increase border strength for a firmer
sitting edge, but this reduces effective sleeping area because the edges
become too firm. Mattresses used to have 5-turn coils that are about 5
inches thick. With todayís thicker mattresses some now use 7 turn coils to
achieve more thickness rather than add more expensive padding.

Itís all Hype

What does all this mean? It really all means
nothing. Todayís high-speed equipment can produce any configuration of
innerspring unit at about the same cost. The only difference is the pounds
of steel used in the mattress unit. More steel means a firmer mattress and
a marginal greater cost. The mattress industry makes more profit on firmer
mattresses and they tell you firmer is better. A coil spring can only
respond to downward pressure with an equally opposing force. Even zoning a
mattress with firmer coils in the middle does not balance the pressures on
a human body very well. They still create pressure points on the body.
What you really want if a softer more conforming mattress. If you choose
an innerspring you should look for the thinner wire gauges and rely on
feel to choose something that is not too firm.

Padding on top of the spring unit

Here is where the real difference in
mattress comes in. Manufacturers use a combination of cotton batting,
polyester fiber, and polyurethane foam. Look for the most padding you can
get for the greatest comfort. Donít be fooled by Convoluted or ĎEgg-crateí
foam. This is formed by feeding a piece of foam through a
compression-cutting machine where the rollers have bumps on them that
create the hills and valleys. Feed in a 3 inch thick piece of foam and get
out two 2Ē to 2.5Ē inch thick pieces of foam. Four to five inches of foam
from three inches, saves costs. But there is an advantage when used as a
top layer; the fingers sticking up are softer than the solid part below.
Some convoluted pieces have patterns or zones that really donít mean much.
Cotton batting is the cheapest material for itís height but it compresses
and packs down quickly not regaining its loft. Polyester fiber is good for
surface softness and breatheability but it too tends to pack down rather
quickly. Polyurethane foam is the best choice for durable padding. The
higher the density, the better the quality and durability. Generally you
want something better than 1.2 pounds per cubic foot density. Todayís
mattresses are almost foam mattresses except they use a core of steel
springs to take up air space because this is cheaper than the same amount
of foam.

Pillowtops and Ticking

These are strictly cosmetic features.
Pillowtops add an extra labor step and give the illusion of having thicker
padding. Most tickings are durable enough but manufacturers make them
beautiful to differentiate the bed and help them sell better. Donít be
fooled by this. It makes no difference if extra padding is quilted into
the ticking to make it plush looking, or placed in the pillowtop, or
placed on top of the springs. In the end the bed is covered with a
mattress pad, sheets, and bedspread.

Why innersprings wear out

Itís usually not that the springs wear out.
It is that the springs cut into the padding, and the padding pushes down
into the springs. When this happens you can lie on the bed and feel every
spring. Steel is hard. Who wants to sleep on steel when there are better
alternatives to innerspring mattresses?

Alternative Sleep Surfaces

With the technology we have today why do
most of us still sleep on coils springs that were intended for seat
cushions, and adapted to an innerspring mattress that was invented in
1871? In some countries innersprings are only 15% of the market.
Alternatives include Air, Water, Latex, Polyurethane Foam, Visco-Elastic,
and Lever-Support. Air or Water are good beds. They require a little more
maintenance as they can leak or electro-mechanical air pumps can break
down. Latex beds were invented in the early 50ís and are still a good
choice as they are more comfortable and durable than innersprings. They
have a natural story even though they are largely made from synthetic
rubber. But they do tend to get brittle and crumble after an extended
period. But look for one that is softer as many manufacturers are still
fixated on firm is better. Polyurethane Foam was invented in the late 50ís
and largely replaced Latex. Polyurethane is used in many applications for
its durability such as in floor finishes. Polyurethane Foam has come a
long way in the last fifty years and now includes a new variant called
Visco-Elastic. Visco can mold to and comfort the body in a way that other
materials canít. Finally a company called Strobel has a patent on a Lever
Support System.

Lever Support System

Strobelís patented Lever Support System
creates a mattress that is both soft and comfortable yet firm and
supportive at the same time. The Lever Support System is a series of flat
spring wires that work like a teeter-totter so that when a heavier part of
the body such as the hips or shoulders depress one end of the Levers, the
other ends actually push up to give support to recessed areas such as the
small of the back. The result is that the bed conforms to any body or
position giving even all over support.

Supple-Pedic

Strobelís line of Supple-Pedic mattress
includes three models with varying thickness of a proprietary formulation
of Visco-Elastic they call Polyfilax. All Supple-Pedics include the
patented Lever Support System. With the combination of Lever Support and
Polyfilax the company claims to achieve the lowest body pressures and best
back support of any mattress. Strobel has clinical studies that show 90%
less tossing and turning, and Clinically Proven Better Sleep with their
mattress. They also have numerous M.D.ís and Chiropractors who strongly
recommend the bed.

Other Features

Strobelís Supple-Pedic has a removable
cover that is dry cleanable and some machine washable in in cold water. The bed also features a layer
system where each layer can be aired and dried if it gets wet or the
components can be individually replaced if damaged. These features can
reduce maintenance costs by not requiring the entire mattress to be
replaced.

30 year mattress life?

Strobelís Supple-Pedic mattress has endured
a 30 year simulated use roller test. If the typical innerspring is
replaced every three to five years, Strobelís bed might last fifteen to
thirty years. That would be a significant cost savings.

New Technology Now Available

As with everything today there is new
technology in the mattress market that you should consider. For more
information on Supple-Pedic visit
www.Strobel.com or call 866-Strobel.